Quesada and Bruzon win the first phase of Cuba Chess Championship

Quesada and Bruzon win the first phase of Cuba Chess Championship
GM Almeida Quintana and GM Nogueiras also qualify for the semifinals
Report by Chessdom.com

GM Yuniesky Quesada Perez and GM Lazaro Bruzon Batista convincingly won the first phase Cuban Chess Championship. They have collected 7,0/9 and have 1,5 points advantage ahead of the third GM Quintana, and full 2 points ahead of the rest of the chasing pack.

For the semi finals qualify four of the competing 14 players, which in this case are Quesada (number 1 with better tiebreak), Bruzon, Almeida Quintana, and the grandmaster with better tiebreak from the group of 5 point finishers – GM Nogueiras.

The pairings for the first semifinal matches are Quesada – Nogueiras and Bruzon – Quintana. The first games are Friday, January 22. The tournament is qualification for the Cuban national team for the Chess Olympiad in Khanty Mansiysk 2010.

Full standings of the first phase

1 GM Quesada Perez Yuniesky 2565 7
2 GM Bruzon Batista Lazaro 2615 7
3 GM Almeida Quintana Omar 2538 5,5
4 GM Nogueiras Santiago Jesus 2570 5
5 FM Quesada Perez Yasser 2401 5
6 GM Vera Gonzalez-Quevedo Reynaldo 2499 5
7 GM Delgado Ramirez Neuris 2595 5
8 GM Martinez Duany Lelys Stanley 2506 5
9 IM Ortiz Suarez Isan Reynaldo 2527 4,5
10 GM Corrales Jimenez Fidel 2602 4,5
11 FM Jimenez Fraga Pedro Alejandro 2453 4,5
12 IM Gomez Garrido Camilo 2497 4
13 GM Arencibia Rodriguez Walter 2499 4
14 GM Perez Rodriguez Luis Manuel 2487 4
15 GM Gonzalez Vidal Yuri 2523 4
16 FM Bacallao Alonso Yusnel 2512 3,5
17 GM Hernandez Carmenates Holden 2567 3
18 GM De La Paz Perdomo Frank 2488 0,5